Spring connector for selectors



DCC. 25, 1945. Rl RNERS SPRING CONNECTOR'FOR SELECTORS Filed Aug. 14,1943 F'IGJ FIG. 6. FIGS.

NVENTOR.

ROBERT RIVERS FIGB..

BY Y

lthan that selected for a code number.

Patented Dec. 25, 1945 UNITED STATE s PATENT ol-Ficli amended April 30,1928; 370 0. G. 757) ,The invention described herein may be'manufacturedand used by or lfor the Government for governmental purposes, withoutthe payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to selectors or stepping relays, and moreparticularly to a selector arranged for ready change of the codecombination of digits for which the selector is set..

The object of this invention is to provide a spring connectorarrangement which makes it possible to readily change the connections tothe banks of contacts of the selector without necessitating soldering.This. is to facilitate setting up the selector in accordance with adesired code. A further object is to automatically ground or otherwiseconnect together al1 of the contacts other other object is to provideresilient means for interlocking withand holding the spring connector inproper position.

Tov accomplish the foregoing and other objects which willhereinafter-appear, my invention resides in the selector elements andtheir relation one to the other, as hereinafter are more particularlydescribed in the specification. and sought to be dei-ined in the claims.The specification is accompanied'bya drawing in which Figure 1 is a planview of the main part of a selector; y

Figure 2 is a section drawn to enlarged scale through a selector havingthree superposed banks of contacts;

Figure 3 illustrates a small section of a shorting plate forming a partof the invention;v

Figure 4 is an edge view of the same;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a spring connector; and

Figures 6 and 7 are opposite end views of the same.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures l and 2, theSelector in normal form comprises a series of spaced contacts I2, whichare clamped between insulation plates I4 and I6 (Figure 2). Thesecontacts are projected to form extensions I8, which were heretofore usedas soldering lugs. The contacts I 2 are slidably engaged by a suitablespringy contact arm 20. To facilitate external electrical connection tothe movable contact arm 20, an additional continuous metal plate orslider plate 22 may be provided beneath insulation plate I6, and the arm20 may be made double, the lower portion 20' being adapted to slide onplate 22. A number of banks of contacts may be provided, there beingthree such banksin the present case, corresponding to code numbershavstill aning three digits. (The contact arms 20 andl2 are shownseparated from the uppermost bank, but are shown in engagement with thetwo lower banks.) I

A connection may be made to one of the contacts in each of the banks inaccordancewith a desired code number, and al1 of the other contacts areconnected together and either grounded the circuit for which theselector is used.` rFor some purposes it is frequently necessary tochange the code being used, and to set up the selector in accordancewith a desired new code.

In accordance with the present invention, the

three conductors leading to the three banks are each provided at its endwith a springconnector such as that shown at 24. This consists of ahollow insulation housing or sheath'26 openat one end and Vcarryinginside a generally U-shaped' metal clip 28, preferably made of phosphorbronze. f The clip is so dimensioned as to be received slidably and,with a snug fit around. oneof the extensions or soldering lugs I8.

The banks of contacts in the upwardly against the same, as is shown 32downwardly, as is shown at the right of the bottom bank. With thisarrangement, all of the contacts of the bank are normally connectedtogether by spring fingers 32 and shorting plate 3E except the selectedcontact. That is disconnected from the others by the insulation sheath26 of the spring connector, and is instead connected to the lead (notshown) carrying the connector.

The insulation sheath 2S ris preferably provided with protuberances ordetent projections 34 at the top and bottom. 'Ihese are received withinthe end of spring finger 32, thereby holding the connecter rmly inposition despite vibration cr other treatment tending to shake theconnector from the soldering lug.

It is believed that the construction and method of use, as well as theadvantages of the invention, will be apparent from the foregoingdescription. The invention does many things at once. It provides areadily changeable connection to a selected contact. It connects all ofthe other contacts together. It disconnects the selected contact fromall other contacts.y It interlocks the connector selector are modi-Y edby the provision of a bottom plate or short-i ing plate 30 having springlingers k32. These n. gers underlie the soldering lugs and. normallybearA at the right-hand part of the upper two banks.' When the connector24 is applied to one of the solder-I ing lugs, it bends thecorresponding spring iinger v and the selected contact againstaccidental separation.

It will be understood that it is not essential to use a slider plate forexternal connection to the contact arm, and instead a flexibleconnection may be made directly to a single spring arm. It will also beunderstood that even when a slider plate is used, it is not necessary toarrange the plates in the sequence shown, and instead the shorting platemay be disposed on one side of the contacts, while the slider plate isdisposed on the other, or the shorting plate may be made theintermediate plate and the slider plate may be made the bottom plate.

It will be apparent that While I haveI shown and described my inventionin a preferred form, many changes and modifications may be made in thestructure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention,as sought to be defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A selector comprising a bank of contacts for engagement by a movablecontact arm, extensions on said contacts for electrical connectionthereto, a shorting plate insulated froml said bank of contacts, aportion of said shorting plate being slotted to provide a series ofspring ngers so bent that each normally engages a mating contactextension and insulation means adapted to separate the adjacent springfinger of the shorting plate from a mating contact extension, while allof the other contact extensions remain mutually interconnected by theother spring fingers and shorting plate.

2. A selector comprising a bank of contacts for engagement by a movablecontact arm, extensionson said contacts for electrical connectionthereto, a shortingv plate insulated from said bank of contacts, aportion of said shorting plate being slotted to provide a series ofspring iingers so bent that each normally engages a mating contactextension, and a connector adapted to be detachably received over one ofthe aforesaid contact extensions, said connector including a metal partfor electrical contact, saidv metal part being sheated in insulation andthe insulation being adapted to insulatedly separate the adjacent springnger of the shorting plate from the mating contact extension on whichvthe connector is placed, While all of the other contact extensionsremain mutually interconnected by the other spring ngers and shortingplate.

3. A selector comprising a bank of contacts for engagement by a movablecontact arm, extensions on said contacts for electrical connectionthereto, a shorting plate insulated from said bank of contacts, aportion of said shorting plate being slotted to provide a series ofspring fingers so bent that each normally engages a mating contactextension, and a connector adapted to be detachably received over one ofthe aforesaid contact extensions, said connector including a metal'partforv electrical contact, said metal part being sheathed ininsulation and the insulation being adapted to insulatedly separate theadjacent spring nger of the shorting plate from the mating contactextension on which the connector is placed, while all of the othercontact extensions remain mutually interconnected by the other springngers and shorting plate, each of said connectors also having a detentprojection adapted to interengage with the cooperating spring finger inorder to hold the connector securely on the contact extension.

4. A selector comprising a bank of contacts for engagement by a movablecontact arm, ex-

tensions on said contacts for electrical connec-` tion thereto, ashorting plate insulated from said bank of contacts, a portion of' saidshorting plate being slotted to provide a series of spring iingers s0bent that each normally engages a mating contact extension, a sliderplate insulated from said bank of contacts and shorting plate, saidslider plate having a portion adapted for engagement by the contact armfor external connection thereto, and a connector adapted to bedetachably received over one of the aforesaid contact extensions, saidconnector including metal spring iingers sheathed in insulation andadapted to. insulatedly separate the adjacent spring nger of theshorting. plate from the mating contact extension on which the connectoris placed, While all of the other contact extensions remain mutuallyinterconnected by the other spring fingers and shorting plate, saidconnector also having a detent projection adapted to interengage withthe cooperating spring finger-'in order to hold `the connector securelyon the contact extension.

ROBERT RIVERS.

